Picking up the Pieces
by LuluneriRE-TKLover
Summary: AU. New diva Taylor Raines makes an impression on her first day. She catches the eye of everyone, but more so the eye of The Shield. However, there's more to this girl than she's showing. Sometimes it's best to leave well enough alone. OC/Roman
1. Chapter 1

_ Twenty years ago…_

_Punches met with steel continuously, the echo of flesh meeting with the metal enveloping the room. The only inhabitant within the room was a little girl._

_Taylor Raines. She is only six years old, and she is already abnormally strong. Her fists left prints within the metal. It was almost reduced to nothing. Several more pieces of metal were scattered across other areas of the room, most of them with man-made holes._

_A woman walked in, her heels clicking against the ground as she approached the little girl. She placed a hand onto her shoulder and Taylor stopped assaulting the rather large piece of metal._

"_That's enough for today, don't you think?" The woman inquired. She pointed upwards to the banner that had the symbol for "WWE" on it. "When you get older…that place will be the true test of your abilities."_

"_WWE?" She knew of the place. That's where wrestlers from all over the world came to entertain the crowd weekly. "I'll be going there too?"_

_The woman nodded. "Uh huh. Come on, it's time to get some rest."_

* * *

_ Present day…_

Taylor, now twenty-six years old, has now joined the WWE. She has joined as a diva, and her first opponent was Natalya. She was not to be taken lightly, under any circumstances. Neither was she. She tightened up her boots and straightened her attire which consisted of black spandex tights and a top to match. The leather jacket and fingerless gloves were for added effect for her toughness. In less than ten minutes, she would be out there in front of thousands of people putting on a show.

"First match in WWE…and I take on Natalya. This should be fun." She grabbed her leather jacket and slipped it on before exiting out of the locker room. She took in a deep breath and prepared herself for her match.

After both Taylor and Natalya were introduced, the bell rung and the match began. Both women tried to go for a headlock, but they reversed each other with ease. Natalya grabbed Taylor's hand and irish whipped her into one of the turnbuckles, forcing her back to meet with the padding roughly. It knocked the wind out of her and she collapsed onto the ground. Natalya walked over to her and picked her up, suplexing her out of the corner. She was getting rather arrogant since she believed that she had the upper hand. She grabbed a handful of Taylor's dark locks of hair and yanked her back to her feet.

"You don't belong in here," She said arrogantly. "We don't need another fluffy woman to shake her ass in this business!"

She was getting too comfortable, and Taylor didn't have much of a hold on her temper to deal with that. She was going to have to fix Natalya's attitude the hard way. She broke her hold on her hair and power kicked her in her gut. She staggered forward, and that was her opening. She grabbed Natalya by her tights and rammed her between her legs. Taylor's arms locked around her waist and lifted her high up in the air before slamming her whole upper body down on the mat harshly with a powerbomb. She quickly covered Natalya for the count.

"One…two…three!" The bell rung and Taylor's hand was raised as the victor. Not bad for a beginner in her book.

* * *

After the match, Taylor began the slightly painful trek to her locker room. Her back hurt somewhat, but nothing a little heat couldn't cure. Besides, she hasn't even begun to feel pain. This was just her first day. The main event of RAW was the Shield versus Rybaxel and Damien Sandow. Seriously, what kind of challenge was that to people as strategic as the Shield? She decided to leave instead of staying behind to watch them be humiliated…again.

_Well, speaking of the Shield…here they come now._

Those three were a force to be reckoned with. No one could beat them without a solid plan. That much was obvious. First, there was Dean Ambrose, the loose cannon in the group. He's a lunatic, and quite scary if he manages to draw his own blood. Next, there was Seth Rollins, the architect of the group. If there's one thing Taylor's noticed about Seth, is that he's always prepared and has a plan at the ready. He's a risk taker, always flying off the top ropes and out to the floor or across the ring. And finally…there was Roman Reigns, the powerhouse of the Shield. He was quiet, and always seemed to be lost in his thoughts. Whenever he was in the ring, he was locked onto his opponents with laser precision and showed no mercy. They were a true military unit. She walked past the trio without so much as a second glance…at first. She turned back around to look at the group when she could almost feel a pair of eyes staring holes into her.

It was Roman Reigns. His hazel eyes locked with Taylor's jade eyes for a moment. His face had that same brooding and pensive look. What was he looking at her for? She broke eye contact with him, a slight scoff coming from her lips before she turned on her heel and continued down the hallway. Roman turned back around and joined up with Dean and Seth for their match.

_That was rather…puzzling._

She opened the door to her locker room and began to undress. A headache began to form, and it wasn't the usual kind. For a while, Taylor has been having random headaches that come paired with apparitions or remnants of events that happened in the past that she had supposedly forgotten. It was baffling to her. Why all of a sudden did these memories come back? Are they supposed to mean something, or are they just coincidental?


	2. Chapter 2

The warm water cascaded over her body, providing a moment of peace. Her headache was still bothering her, and it was continuing to get worse. In her field of vision, she could see small patches of blood and gore. They were on the walls and on the ground. It was even on her. With a slight yelp, she jumped out of the shower and stared at the gruesome scene. Was this even real?

_These headaches…there's blood on my body. Wh-what's happening to me?_

She stumbled back into her locker room and hastily put on her street clothes. She had to get out of here before it got worse. She grabbed her duffel bag and exited the room, almost breaking into a sprint to get to her car. Her head was facing down to the ground, so she really couldn't see where she was walking. She bumped into someone and fell to the ground.

"Ow…I-I'm sorry, I should've-" She looked up, and all she saw was a black shadow hovering in front of her. She backed away slowly, sliding across the ground. "What's going on…?"

A hand reached out to touch her, and everything slowly became clear again. The black shadow dissipated and there stood a tall man in front of her with a concerned look. He still had his hand extended for her to take.

"Are…you alright?"

_That voice…I know it._

She gripped his hand and rose slowly to her feet. They both locked eyes for a minute before Taylor broke her gaze on him. "Yeah…I-I'm fine, Roman. Aren't you supposed to be in the main event with Dean and Seth?"

"The match is over. It ended ten minutes ago."

_Ten minutes ago!? How long was I in limbo? It lasted for a split second, didn't it…?_

Apparently not. This certainly wasn't adding up to her at all. She stood there in silence, her eyes focusing downward. The visions were still clear as day. Blood covered the shower's walls and floor, including herself. She doesn't remember doing anything of that, nor did she think she was capable of such carnage. Roman said nothing, as it was obvious that Taylor was not in her right state of mind. Something had her spooked beyond comprehension, and she didn't want to talk about it. So he left her with an abrupt, "See you later." He didn't know what to do, so he just left her alone.

"…See you." She picked up her duffel bag and put it in the trunk of her car.

* * *

After all of that, Dean and Seth sat in the hotel room. Roman said he had to stay behind for something important. It was unusual for him to act like this, but neither Dean nor Seth could figure him out to begin with.

"Roman's been a little…off lately." Seth wasn't speaking to Dean in particular, although he was free to answer. "Ever since that new girl showed up, he's been focusing a lot on her."

"Oh come on," Dean said with a hint of irritation. "He's not interested in her, if that's where you're going with this. He was probably impressed with her abilities. I know I was. She's not like the other girls in the back that do nothing but dress pretty and get their asses thrown around the ring like a ragdoll. She's a powerhouse."

"You never know, Dean. She is pretty strong, but that was her first match. What we saw out there was the tip of the iceberg."

Dean merely shrugged and leaned back on the bed with a sigh. "Maybe. I just wish Roman were here so we can head out."

The front door opened and in stepped Roman. He laid his bag next to the door, walking over to the bed and knocking Dean's feet off before taking a seat. "Move your feet."

"Well, look who decided to show up. What took you so long?"

"I was a little late, that's all. You gonna give me a curfew now?"

Dean scoffed and folded his arms. Roman was always blunt and to the point with his answers. This time wasn't much different. "Smartass."

"That aside…" Seth straightened his posture on the couch and leaned forward. "You've seen the new girl. Her first match didn't even go past two minutes. What'd you think of that?"

Everyone was fixated on Taylor, for reasons he doesn't care for. He bumped into her by accident before he left the arena. She was frantic and almost looked pale. When he reached out to help her to her feet, she seemed completely out of it. It was like she saw a ghost. Their conversation was rather brief, too.

"She was…pretty good." He didn't want to dwell on this for much longer. "Why do you care?"

"Just asking. So, you wanna go to the bar for a little bit? To get your mind off of…whatever it is you're thinking about?"

Should he really drown his thoughts in alcohol? No matter how many times he tries to change the subject, he kept thinking about Taylor. Maybe she lost her awareness for a short period of time and got spooked. But normal people wouldn't act like she did. She was actually running away when he saw her. But from what was the important question.

"…Maybe later."

"Aw, come on!" Dean sounded rather demoralized by the fact that Roman didn't want to tag along. "Alright, we'll let you be alone. Let's go, Seth."

After the duo left was Roman able to truly relax. If there was one thing that pissed him off, it was Dean and Seth's constant nagging for his opinion. He'd rather not talk about certain things, and he'd really wish both of them understood that. Now that they both were absent from his room, he'd have some time to clear his head.

_She was scared of something before she left. I can't just up and ask her what's wrong..._

* * *

Taylor managed to make it to the hotel without another episode occurring. She grabbed her duffel bag and took out the key card for her room before entering the building. She couldn't wait to get some sleep. She just wanted to forget this day entirely. The hallucinations of blood on the shower and on herself, the black shadow…it was all too much.

When she made it to her room, she unlocked the door and stepped inside. A fresh bed and her own shower; maybe she can finally wash her hair without picturing blood spatters on the wall. She headed towards the bathroom, but the headache she had beforehand intensified. Again, she could see blood on the walls, on the comforter, and on the television. A dark shadow stood in the corner, slowly walking towards her. She staggered backwards until she lost her footing.

"Wh…what's happening!?"

"_Monster…you monster!"_

The shadow slowly cleared the distance between them until it was eye level with Taylor, still chanting "Monster!" continuously. She opened her mouth to yell, but nothing came out. Just what was happening to her? The shadow leaned over her, and she was surprised to see a face in the middle of it. She still wanted to scream, but something was forcing her to stay silent. She couldn't tell if it was fear or the shadow itself.

"_You…MONSTER!"_

Taylor finally managed to scream, but that was all she was able to do before the shadow enveloped her and she fell unconscious.


	3. Chapter 3

The sound of screaming knocked Roman out of his musings and almost onto the floor. Acting on instinct, he jolted up out of the bed and sprinted out of the hallway. The source of the screaming was in a room down the hall. His first idea was to open the door, but then he remembered that he needed a keycard to get in. Dammit, not the best time to go card hunting…

_Dammit, the only time I needed Seth and Dean here…and they're gone._

If he stood out here, he would put himself in a dilemma, so he resorted to breaking down the door. With two rams of his shoulder, the door swung open. The girl that he had seen before he had left was on the ground in front of him, and from his point of view, completely unresponsive.

"Hey!" He leaned down to her, moving her body slightly towards him and using his lap as a platform for her to lie on. She was still breathing, so that was a good sign. He believed that she may have passed out from overexertion. Still, that didn't explain the screaming he heard. Roman sighed and picked her up gently, laying her on top of the king-sized bed.

_Honestly, what the hell was that? This is the third time we've met through weird circumstances._

Putting his own musings aside, he waited for Taylor to wake up. Roman was really surprised at himself, mostly because he never lost his composure when he found her like he did. Maybe the military gimmick he's been using for WWE isn't just a gimmick anymore. Nevertheless, he wasn't leaving. That much has been made certain.

An hour had passed by, and nothing had changed in the hotel room. Taylor was still unconscious, but breathing normally. Roman had stayed where he was, occasionally glancing down at his watch to keep track of time. It was almost 1:30. Dean and Seth would be back soon. He dozed off occasionally, but his eyes would always flicker back to her still form. He wasn't going to be satisfied until she woke up.

_Come on, girl…wake up already…_

"…Mmm…ugh…" Taylor slowly began to stir. She held a hand to her head as she groaned, sitting up on the bed. "How did I-"

"You had me worried there for a sec." His deep voice was more than enough to get her attention. "Any longer, and I would've had to take you to the hospital."

"How…how did you get in here?" She asked. Although, that was the least of her worries. Roman's eyes were fixated on her, and they were narrowing as time went on. He definitely wanted some answers. "…Never mind."

"This is the second time I've run into you like this." He leaned forward. "Are you sick or something?"

"U-um…" She was still hallucinating as she talked to him, but she was not going to talk about that. It wasn't for him to know. "I…I just passed out, that's all. I'm tired and I overexerted myself."

He scoffed and leaned back in the chair. He would accept that answer…for now. She was really reserved with herself, as if she were covered in armor. There was no way he was going to break through that, not with the progress he's making.

"…Okay." That was all he could say now. She wasn't willing to say anymore, or so it seemed. He got up and left her where she was. "Just…don't cocoon yourself from everyone. Some people are willing to help."

After he left and shut the door, Taylor allowed herself to relax. The hallucination she had before she awakened on top of her bed was the worst to date. She had so many questions to ask…starting with "Why did that shadow call me a monster?" and "What did it want?". She didn't know where to find the answers, either. It was a continuous loop that she just couldn't escape from and it scared her.

_Well…here comes another sleepless night…_

* * *

Just as Roman was going back into his room, he was greeted by Seth and Dean. At least he didn't have to worry about calling them back, even though they would've been helpful earlier. However, all that had taken place was under the rug now. Or so he hoped.

"You guys sure took your time coming back here."

"We weren't gone that long," Dean stated. "What's got you in such a bunch?"

"…Nothing." He took a seat on the bed, his eyes refusing to meet their gazes. "Why can't you guys just go back to your own rooms for heaven's sake?"

"It's fun to stay in here with you, Mr. Powerhouse. Don't be a sourpuss."

Roman merely sighed. When they stayed in a city long term, this was how both Dean and Seth usually acted. He was supposed to be used to it now, but the annoyance they cause him…not so much.

"You went to go see her, didn't you?"

Roman couldn't help but look up at Dean. It was like he had a sixth sense or something. Although, he could've been talking about someone entirely different. "You saw Ms. Raines, didn't you?"

Apparently not. "…Why are you so fixated on her?"

"Huh, that's funny…I should ask you the same thing. Ever since you ran into her in the hallway, you've been…different. You're not your usual, composed self. It even showed out there in the ring earlier today."

Dean was more observant than he gave him credit for. He didn't mean to get distracted like he was now, but at least they came up with the win overall. He folded his arms and turned away from both of them.

"That was just today…it won't happen again."

He didn't take him too seriously when he said his statement. "You sure about that? We have house shows to do tomorrow. Think you'll still have your head then?"

"Dean, stop." Seth finally decided to speak up. "You're beginning to chastise him."

Everything was silent for only a moment, but it felt much longer for the trio. Seth's eyes were flickering back and forth between his friends, trying to see who would blow a fuse before everything's said and done. Luckily, they both held their tongues and said nothing more on the subject.

"Well, I'll leave it at that." Dean stood up and walked towards the door. "We'll talk more later on. Come on, Seth."

"…Alright." Seth was reluctant to leave, but he thought about how hard it must be for Roman to think with him in his presence. There was definitely something he wasn't telling him. He walked out of the door and shut it behind him. "Dean, was that necessary?"

"I just wanna know what's the reason for him all of a sudden changing his attitude, that's all." He huffed. "I really think the new girl's gotten to him in some way…I just don't know how."

"Well, that's not for us to know right now." He patted his friend on the back. "Let's just…get some sleep, alright? And next time…don't try to scold him. He probably would've pummeled you if I weren't in the room."

* * *

**So sorry for being late with this. It's not going to be _too _interesting yet, but I'm getting to it. Leave a review if you liked it!**


	4. Chapter 4

Early next morning, Taylor woke up to the sound of her phone vibrating. She grabbed it off of the nightstand and examined it. A message appeared on the screen from Stephanie McMahon. It reads:

_Photoshoot at 10:00 AM. Be there 15 min. prior._

"…Great." She forced herself to sit up. She wasn't able to sleep as well as she was used to, but it's enough. "It's 8:00 now, so there's no fucking point in staying in bed." She leapt out of the bed and headed into the shower.

* * *

The room was dark with the exception of a computer monitor lighting up a small portion. A woman sat in front of it, an amusing look on her face as she examined a file.

"It's been twenty years since the last transmission was confirmed. I guess we can continue with our experiment after all…"

A man opened the door and turned on the lights. He waved around a portfolio and laid it on the desk. He peered around the desk and captured a glance of the monitor. His expression was a mixture of disbelief and excitement.

"Is that who I think it is?"

"Mmhm." She scrolled down the page. "It's odd, since the records said that she died five years ago. Why are we getting a transmission from a dead woman?" She closed the document and shut down the computer then grabbed the document on the desk. "Forget about that. I assume this is where you tracked the transmission, hmm?"

"Yes ma'am. The fact that we know this place makes investigating it all the easier. Shall we begin our investigation?"

She waved her hand. "No, not yet. I want to be sure before we charge head first into this."

"Very well." He bowed politely. "Everyone else is awaiting your comments to the situation at hand."

"I'll give them my briefing soon." She watched the man take his leave. She merely sighed and leaned against the desk, deep in thought.

_Is she truly back from the dead? Or is this all fake? Guess I'll find out soon enough._

* * *

At the photoshoot, Taylor thought she was going to be alone for her photo. She was wrong, as the whole diva roster and some of the superstars were there as well. Well wasn't this just great.

"Hey!" A girl skipped over to Taylor and stopped right in front of her. "I'm AJ. You new here?"

"Um…yeah. Nice to meet you, AJ. I'm Taylor." She was kinda taken aback when she decided to jump on her and straddle herself against her. "Um…?"

"Come on! The girls are ready to start the photoshoot, but you need to put this on." She held up a somewhat skimpy bikini. Taylor simply blinked twice. "It's a summer photoshoot, so it makes sense, right?"

"…Yeah., give me a minute to change." She made AJ jump down from her waist and went into the dressing room to change. She kind of cringed at the color of the bikini, but this wasn't for her to enjoy it. "Ugh…"

She stripped out of her clothes and put on the bikini. It was more revealing than she thought beforehand. After adjusting it to her liking, she stepped out of the dressing room and reunited with AJ.

"Wow, you look great!"

Taylor's cheeks began to turn red. "C-Can we start the photoshoot please?"

"Sure, come on!"

It didn't take as long as Taylor was expecting. It only took an hour. She quickly went back into the dressing room to put on her regular clothes. Being in that bikini brought a little too much attention to her. Her face turned even redder when she learned that she was able to keep it. After she was fully dressed, she exited out of the building.

"That went better than I thought…I wish things were that easy." She looked down at her phone. Two messages, but the sender was a person she didn't know. She texted back with a simple question:

_[Txt: Unknown number] May I ask whose number this is?_

"Hey, Taylor!" AJ came up and hugged her from behind. "Where ya going?"

"Oh, I was…going back to my hotel. What's up?"

"Aww…" AJ frowned. "It's not even noon yet! Are you up for some brunch? I'm even bringing a friend."

"Who?"

AJ smiled and increased the pressure in her hug. "Dean!"

"Dean…?" She turned around with AJ still clinging onto her from behind. Yep, she should've guessed…

Dean Ambrose…the "Lunatic Fringe". However, he was looking rather tame right now. His dirty blonde hair was back up in his cap, some sticking out from the back. He smiled back, approaching both of the women. AJ broke the bear hug on Taylor to do the same to Dean.

"Deanie!"

"Sup, AJ?" He pats her head gently. He wasn't really the hugger type, but he's always made exceptions for her. His attention turned to Taylor, whom didn't really say anything during their exchange. A small chuckle came from him.

"So you're little miss Taylor Raines." He extended his hand. "I'm Dean. You're more intimidating in person."

"I-intimidating?" She blinked twice. "I-I'm not intimidating. Not like you are anyway…"

"I'm only intimidating in the ring, sweetheart. Out here, I'm a little more humble." He turned towards AJ, pushing his duffel bag back up on his shoulder. "So, where's this place you want us to eat at so much?"

"You're driving!" She pushes Dean towards the car. "Come on, silly! You too, Taylor!"

"Alright, lead the way."

* * *

A few minutes later, they make their way to the restaurant. Taylor exited her car, taking in a deep breath. She was glad that she didn't have another hallucination episode behind the wheel. She followed both Dean and AJ into the restaurant. This place looked too elegant to be a casual dining area.

"You sure this is the place? It seems too fancy."

"Yeah it is." Dean shrugged. "But it's a casual restaurant, trust me. They cook a mean steak, too. Let's go get a table."

AJ skipped to the front, approaching the waiter. She held up three fingers, telling him how many people were in attendance. The waiter grabbed up three menus and led them to their table.

"I will be back in five minutes to take your orders. Do you want any drinks?"

"Um…" AJ scanned the drink portion of the menu. "I'll take a sprite."

"I'll take a coke with a lemon." Dean said, closing his menu up. He already knew what he was ordering.

"Um…I'll take a ginger ale."

"I'll be back with your drinks in a minute." The waiter departed and AJ began a conversation.

"So Taylor…what made you come to the WWE? Based on your looks, I expected you to be a model. You looked good in that bikini. Although, there were several scars on your back and shoulder. Did something happen when you were younger?"

"Um…" She was reluctant to answer the question, but she tried anyway. She couldn't remember much. "To be honest, I don't remember. I was hoping that coming to the WWE, I could find some answers for myself."

"How so?" Dean asked. "By travelling the world, you could find something?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

The waiter came back with their drinks, handing them out respectively. "So, are we ready to order?"

"Yes sir!" AJ gathered up the menus and set them in the middle of the table. "I'll have the grilled scallops with jasmine rice."

"I'll have the T-bone steak with grilled vegetables, medium-rare."

The waiter wrote their orders down and waited for Taylor to announce hers. "And for you, miss?"

"Umm…I'll have the shrimp alfredo with lemon sauce."

"Alright." He takes up the menus and puts up their orders in the kitchen."Your meals will be here shortly."

Taylor turned her attention to her newfound friends, who were giving her a look of concern. Apparently they weren't pleased with her answer. "What?"

"Well, we could help you." AJ smiled. "It could help you put your mind at ease."

"Maybe," Dean said. "Rome's told me about how he's ran into you…twice already. Something's definitely bothering you and he's noticed. He just doesn't know how to help you."

_So he's been noticing a lot more than he's letting on. I can't just up and tell him if I don't know anything myself. We'll just come up at a dead end._

"I respect the fact that Roman's trying to help me, Dean. It's just that I don't want him to get involved. Because whatever's at the end of the line…I know that I can't turn back. And I don't want him-nor you guys-getting caught up in it."

* * *

**Whew, I got this chapter up and out of the way just before school started. I'm somewhat proud of myself. Don't worry, this story's gonna get interesting soon. Leave a review if ya liked.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Wh…what do you mean?" AJ said. "Are you saying that when you find your answers…it'll be dangerous?"

"Pretty much. I'm not sure how dangerous, but I just don't want to risk anyone else to be in the middle of this."

"Are you sure?" Dean paused to take a sip from his coke with lemon. "Maybe handling this alone isn't the solution."

"…I'd rather do it alone. Thanks anyway, Dean."

The waiter shortly came back with their plates of food, passing them out respectively. "The T-bone steak with fresh vegetables for you sir, the grilled scallops and jasmine rice for the young lady, and the shrimp alfredo with lemon sauce for the other young lady."

"Thank you."

"Do not hesitate to ask me for anything else!" The waiter took off the take another customer's order. All three of them began digging into their food, with Dean's moan of approval of his steak being heard first.

"Oh my god, this is the most amazing steak I've ever put in my fucking mouth." He continued to bite into the tender piece of beef. "Mmm…"

"You probably shouldn't swing that knife around in your hand. It's making me feel anxious." Taylor twirled the linguine around the fork before taking a bite. The alfredo was delicious, but she was too worried about Dean deciding to fling his knife around all willy-nilly. She put her hand on his wrist and set it down gently. "Stop."

"Heh…sorry."

"Well…if you say so." AJ munched slightly on her grilled scallops and rice. "We're here if you need us."

"Thanks."

* * *

Shortly after they finished their meals, Dean finally paid for it all; despite AJ and him getting into a brief verbal argument about it. They made their way back to their vehicles and drove back to the hotel. Luckily, they all stayed in the same one.

"How come you guys didn't tell me you stayed here too?" Taylor asked. "That would've eliminated all weird introductions earlier."

"You never asked. Besides, it was all-" Dean paused and hid behind his car door, pulling out a paint gun from behind his seat. "Oh no…"

"Um…what's he doing?"

"Paintball competition with Roman and Seth," AJ stated, closing the passenger's side. "It's gotten pretty intense. It started this morning with Dean ruining Roman's breakfast, and…" She paused, watching as Roman and Seth pulled up to them. They were both armed with paint guns of their own. "It's gone downhill since then."

"I can only imagine…"

Both of the Shield members exited the car, walking past Dean without so much as a second glance. Dean followed his brothers inside, his paint gun at the ready.

"You guys ain't gonna win this-Seth!" That was totally unexpected. Seth was paint gunned down, faking like he was dead. Where did Roman go?

"He betrayed me, man…" Seth coughed. "Get…that traitor!"

The girls walked in next, seeing the colorful mess on the lobby walls and on Seth's front body. "Jesus, what happened!?"

"Roman, he…" Dean feigned tears as he spoke. "He's gonna pay-AGH!"

Another person came from the lounge of the lobby and paint gunned Dean down. He stared in belief as the man jumped around, victorious.

"Oh yeah! Straight edge wins again, baby!"

"Phil!?" AJ skipped over to him and thumped him in his head. "Idiot, where were you!?"

"Hehe…" Phil-or rather CM Punk-scratched the back of his head with a chuckle. "Sorry…Joe got me to play along by giving me chocolate ice cream bars. I couldn't resist." He turned his head to look at Taylor, who was still trying to understand what happened in the past minute. "Oh, hey! You're new here. Name's Phil Brooks, better known as CM Punk. And you are?"

"Oh, I'm Taylor Raines. Nice to meet you. By the way, who's Joe?"

Punk raised an eyebrow, then slapped himself in the head. He should've known that a newcomer wouldn't know them by name just yet.

"Roman Reigns' real name is Joe. "

She shook her head. "Really? Okay."

"Ah, well...hey, here he comes now." Roman walked down the hallway of the lobby, cringing somewhat at the sight of his brothers covered in paint. Punk didn't seem amused. "Well, I did your dirty work. Happy?"

"…Quite." Roman smiled. "This is one way to teach them not to ruin my breakfast. Next time I'm using rubber bullets."

"Didn't this seem a little excessive?" AJ questioned, twiddling her thumbs and struggling to look up at him. Seriously, he towered over her by at least a foot. "It was an accident, right?"

"Babygirl…" He ruffled AJ's hair slightly before setting down the paint gun. "When it comes to food, the gloves are off. I wasn't gonna get involved until I found my spoon in the sink instead of in my hand."

Punk looked around at the lobby of the hotel nervously, seeing the mess they made. They were definitely going to clean this up, or else they were getting kicked out. "Um, guys…we gotta clean this up."

"Right…hey, you two aren't excluded. Come on, let's go."

Dean and Seth stopped their faking and stood up. Both of their facial expressions told Roman that they weren't too impressed with his antics, but it was what they deserved for goofing off.

"Yeah yeah…" Dean rubbed the back of his head. "You're not gonna get that lucky again, Uce."

"Go grab a towel and some soap and get cleanin'."

* * *

"Whew, that didn't take long." Dean stretched his arms in the air and tossed the paint-soiled towel in the large bucket. "Is everyone done?"

"Just about." Taylor tossed her towel in the same bucket as Dean's. Her phone vibrated and she examined it. It was a call from the unknown number from earlier. She answered it, her body beginning to tense as she heard no one on the other line.

"H-hello?"

"_ THE TRUTH..."_

Taylor's breathing hitched as the voice continued to repeat the words in a robotic tone. Shortly after, a loud piercing scream was heard and she dropped the phone on the ground. She held herself around her waist as she fought to keep herself from having a panic attack and another gruesome hallucination at the same time.

"Hey Taylor, you okay!?" AJ came to her side and placed a hand on each of her shoulders to keep her calm. Punk picked up Taylor's phone and held it up to his ear. The same words were being repeated continuously until the voice on the other end laughed maniacally and hung up. He placed the phone on the table, somewhat disgusted and baffled by the call.

"Did you know who that was?" He walked over to Taylor and her hands, which were freezing and trembling. She absently shook her head, telling him that she didn't even recognize the number. "…You didn't, huh?"

Roman mentally marked this down as the third time he's seen her like this. But this was the worst. AJ took her hands off of Taylor's trembling shoulders and allowed him to take her place.

"Y-you don't think anyone's stalking her, do you?" AJ asked.

"It's a possibility," Punk began. "But why would someone stalk her, saying 'The Truth'? The voice on the other end sounded female, but still…it's baffling."

"It doesn't matter," Dean said, his voice stern and almost venomous. "This clearly isn't fucking good for her health. Look at her, she's most likely having a full blown panic attack! We need to do something about this, and _now._"

"N-no, Dean…" She shivered and fought to keep her voice steady. "R-remember what I told you back at the restaurant…this is something I can't have _anyone _get involved in. The guilt of seeing you guys get hurt would crush me and I can't have that. So please, j-just…don't."

"Taylor…" Roman's voice boomed in her ear, which scared her at first because she didn't notice both him and AJ trade spots. "We're not taking no for an answer. You might as well come clean about what's happening to you, too."

"B-but…" She sighed, knowing that she had no other alternative _but _to talk. "Okay…I've been having hallucinations on and off ever since I came to the WWE. I don't know why they suddenly started, but they're getting worse. I see blood and gore everywhere, not to mention dark figures that call me a monster and try to kill me…pieces of my memory are missing, and…I guess these hallucinations are trying to get me to remember the pieces that I've lost."

"'Blood and gore'?" Seth scratched his head, a confused look on his face. "What does blood and gore have to do with your past? Did you see a killing of some sorts? Or did you kill in your past?"

"I…I dunno. When I try to think back, there's like a wall there, preventing me from going any further. It's just…frightening. Why can't I remember…?" She puts both of her hands on her temples, rubbing them to stop a headache from forming.

"Listen babygirl…" Roman pushed Taylor's hair back behind her ears, the color returning to her face slowly. "Don't try to strain yourself, as it'll probably make the hallucinations worse. Can you stand up?"

Taylor slowly rose up to her feet, but soon sunk down again. Both Roman and Dean rushed to her aid, using their bodies to keep her upright. It was like her legs were made of jelly. "…Th-thanks, guys."

"Alright, you're getting pale again." Dean picks her up bridal-style and kept a vice grip on her torso and legs. "I don't like it. You need to get some rest."

"Whatever you say, Mr. Lunatic Fringe…" Her eyes closed and some of her anxiety and panic started to disappear. He carried her all the way to the elevator and pressed the up button. All of their rooms were on the top floor, so that was also convenient for the rest of the group. "Hey Dean…?"

"Hmm?"

"You've only just met me, but you seem to be overprotective already. Why is that?"

There was a moment of silence shared between the two as they waited for the elevator to arrive. She looked up at him and saw that his head was turned away, but not in disgust.

"I…I just don't wanna lose someone like you, Taylor. You're too nice of a woman to lose."

"What do you mean?"

Dean shuffled on his feet as he heard the ding of the elevator. He entered and pushed the button for the top floor. The door closed and it started ascending. "…What I mean is that you're one of the very few women who actually mean something to me. Every other woman has tried to get into my pants or just use me. You're beautiful, but you have no reason to do the same. You actually want me around for my company, therefore I respect you."

It wasn't a whole lot to digest for her, but it still touched her heart. Dean actually respected her, which was something he didn't say often to his competitors, or to anyone else. The elevator stopped on the top floor and the door opened. Dean stepped out, with Taylor still attached to him.

"Where's your room key?" He asked.

"Um…I think it's in my phone case."

"Damn…okay, hold on." Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out his own keycard. "You'll be stayin' in my room then." He carried her down the hallway, inserting his card into the door and swinging it open. He placed her onto the bed, taking her shoes off and setting them aside.

"We'll be back to come and check on you in an hour, 'kay?" He kneeled down to her level, brushing back her damp hair.

Taylor giggled and ruffled his shaggy, dirty-blond hair. She was grateful that he went to all this trouble just to make sure she was comfortable. Yes, she had a panic attack and a hallucination at the same time, but it was over. However, she was extremely weak from it. She could've tried to make it to her own room on her own, but she would've looked really pathetic in the process.

"…Okay, Dean."

* * *

**Yay overprotective!Dean is best Dean in my opinion. So, tell me whatcha think and leave a review!**


	6. Chapter 6

The woman ascended the stairs and entered through the roof, where a helicopter was waiting. Her assistant came with her all the way and stopped at the passenger side of the helicopter. Where she was heading was unknown to him.

"Please be careful, ma'am. This company would be in shambles if you were to perish because of this."

"Relax," She said, opening the door to the helicopter and entering. "This shouldn't take long. Tell everyone to keep their panties on and act like adults."

"As you wish."

She shut the door behind her, slipping on the noise reducing headphones and relaxing. "…To WWE headquarters."

"Understood, ma'am."

_Seems like I need to do some persuading for them to cooperate. Fine by me._

* * *

An hour later, Dean went back upstairs to go check on Taylor. He held her phone in his hand as he waited for the elevator to stop on the top floor. All of this was definitely bothering him more than it should, and he so desperately wanted to get involved regardless of what she said. As AJ said earlier, he's "Always looking for trouble". Like he really cared about that when it came to one of his precious friends. Tch.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened up, and he stepped off. He pulled out his room keycard and opened the door to see Taylor awake, but still in the same position. He shut the door behind him softly, and approached her.

"Hey," He said softly. "How ya feelin'?"

"A little better. I'm still cold…"

Dean shrugged off his jacket and gave it to Taylor to wear as he picked her up. "Here, this should help. Can you make it downstairs?"

"I-I…think so." She stands up, leaning towards the bed for help. Dean holds her hand and makes her stand upright. Once she was sure that she could stand on her own did she let go of him. "Well, it's a start. Hey, where's my shoes?"

"Don't worry about that, I got 'em." He leaned down, gripping her hightops by the tongue of the shoe. "The gang's waiting downstairs for you."

"Th-they were waiting for me the whole time?"

"You kiddin'? Everyone was worried about you, especially Roman. He was edgy the whole time and tried to come up here three times already."

Wow, this was certainly unexpected. She didn't think people would care this much about her problems, especially the people she could call her friends now. "He's…a worrywart, huh?"

"You have no idea. Come on."

"Hey, Dean said he went to check on her. I'm sure she's up and fine."

Roman tapped his foot impatiently, as he was anxious from earlier. Seth paced around, ignoring AJ's reassuring words. She held her hands on her hips and sighed at them.

"Come on guys, you gotta have faith! Taylor's strong, remember?"

"April, she just had a terrible panic attack not too long ago. We thought she was gonna die from the shock she was in." Roman pinched his temples and sighed.

"Hey guys…look who finally decided to join us!" Dean exited the elevator, keeping Taylor close to him as they approached the group. AJ was the first to express her relief and jumping on Taylor, giving her a hug.

"Oh god, I'm so glad you're okay!" She pressed Taylor's head into her chest and sobbed. "We were so scared, we thought you were gonna die!"

"AJ, I-I'm okay now. Promise." She made AJ jump down off of her but she was simply replaced by Punk, Roman and Seth instantly. All these guys surrounding her and asking her several questions at once were about to send her into another anxiety attack.

"I didn't know you guys were this worried, but you're gonna make me have another anxiety attack if you don't back up!" She gripped Dean's jacket and pulled it around her tighter, already feeling her hallucinations beginning. "Sorry guys, I'm just…not fully back yet, but I'll be fine in a few more minutes."

Roman chuckled and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry about that, babygirl. You were as white as a sheet, and I couldn't help but get worried."

"Huh…I thought tough guys like you didn't get worried."

"Heh…I have a heart, Ms. Raines."

"You guys done flirting?" Seth walked past them and headed towards the pool area. "Because I'm ready to get in a few laps in."

"Fine fine…" CM Punk stripped out of his clothes, which made everyone cringe. But when they realized that he was wearing his swim trunks, they loosened up. But still. Come on now. "I call dibs on the diving board!"

"Oh god…" Taylor shook her head and followed them. "Should I…go get a bathing suit or something?"

"Only if you want to," Roman said. "Although…don't give Mr. Tittymaster something to gawk at."

"Mr. Tittymaster?" Taylor raised an eyebrow.

"He's talking about Dean," AJ answered. "It was a joke Dean came up with when he wrote 'Tittymaster' on his hand wrappings during a house show. None of us could stop laughing. But, ever since then…it's stuck with him."

Well, that was news to her. It amused her in a sense, but Dean probably wouldn't try to do anything stupid. He had morals. At least…that's what she thinks.

"We'll see. Come on, let's get to that pool before the guys do something stupid."

* * *

The helicopter landed on the helipad on top of WWE Headquarters in Hartford, Connecticut. The woman stepped out, and was greeted by the COO and co-owner of WWE, Stephanie McMahon, and Hunter Helmsley, better known as Triple H. She shook their hands and went inside to the conference room, where they took their seats.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person Ms. Sampson," Stephanie said. "Now, what brings you all the way here at this time of day?"

The woman perused Taylor Raines' file, a slight smirk forming on her face as she closed the portfolio and slid it back to Stephanie's side. "That girl, Taylor Raines. She just joined not too long ago, did she not?"

"Yes, she's one of our newest divas. She's quite the hot topic already."

"As I thought…" She crossed her legs and leaned forward. "Do you mind if I propose a scenario for you to use at your next episode of RAW?"

"Of course, just name it."

There a brief silence in the room before she spoke. The tension only seemed to get more and more palpable, almost to the point you could cut it with a knife.

"…I want to see Taylor Raines interact with The Shield. And not just any interaction, either."

"What do you mean?" Hunter said. "What are you suggesting?"

A smirk formed on the woman's face as she folded her hands and rested her chin on them.

"…I want them to be hunting her. I want her brought to me."

_We'll meet face to face soon enough, little Taylor. It's been too long._

* * *

**Ooh, it's starting to pick up now! Well, a little. Tell me whatcha think and leave a review! (overprotective!Dean was last chapter, overprotective!Roman will probably be next chapter. That's all the hint you're getting from me XD)**


	7. Chapter 7

The trio rejoined with Seth, Dean, and Punk. Punk dove into the water and swam back up to the edge, splashing water on them before ducking underwater. AJ stomped her foot and jumped into the water, going after him. Taylor laughed while Roman managed to chuckle.

"Everyone's so cheerful…" Taylor sighed contently. "I'm glad I can trust you all."

"Why'd you say that?" Roman raised an eyebrow.

"I don't…trust easily." She leaned back and forth, swaying on her feet. "I don't know why, but I just…don't let people in like I should."

"You have your reasons. I'm not gonna pry at you."

"Thanks-" Taylor's sentence was cut short when she felt a splash of water smack against her face and clothes, drenching her. She wiped the remaining water out of her eyes and looked at Dean. "You bastard!"

"Sorry, couldn't help myself." He chuckled. "C'mon, you two should definitely come in here. The water's great!"

"No thanks," Roman said. "I'd rather stay dry."

"Same here." Taylor looked away, avoiding Seth's sad puppy gaze from afar. AJ and Punk focused on wrestling each other instead of caring about what was happening.

"Taylor, you okay?" He asked. "Your mood swings are scaring me."

"They're not mood swings, Seth…just got a bad feeling, that's all." Her hands rubbed together and she gripped Dean's jacket again. It wasn't a hallucination, but…it was something more than that. It was like she could sense something nearby.

And it was bothering her, mostly because she felt some sort of familiarity. Who-or rather-what was she sensing?

* * *

Hunter was taken aback. Why did this woman want their newest addition to the roster to be affiliated with…the _Shield, _of all people? They weren't a bad pair together, in fact, it was rather interesting. It's just the fact that she's still green in most areas that it wouldn't be a good decision to do right off the bat.

"She's…she's too new," Hunter said. "It's too early for her to be in a storyline with them."

"Are you going against what I asked for, Paul?" The woman's posture remained the same, but her jade colored eyes narrowed at the Co-owners. "Create a storyline between them. It shouldn't be too hard. Or should I give you my own thoughts to work with?"

Hunter stiffened. He didn't know fully what she was capable of if she didn't have her way, but Stephanie was. He looked her way to see her returning his gaze. He had no choice but to agree at this point.

"…No, that won't be necessary. We'll figure something out, and it'll be great."

"…I expect it to be as such." She leaned back in her chair, a content smile across her face. "Hmm…to think that she would show up here of all places…fate works in strange ways."

"Apparently you and Taylor have background with one another." Stephanie broke the tension in the air after she cleared her throat. "But that's not our business to pry at. We'll begin creating the storyline. Should we tell her about it?"

The woman shook her head. "No, just tell the Shield. Make sure they don't squeal either. I want our meeting to be special when it happens."

* * *

"Are you guys finished?"

"Just about…" Punk wrung out his hair and grabbed his regular clothes. "Lemme go get change first. Come on, AJ."

"Be right back guys!" AJ skipped down the hall with him and entered the elevator, leaving the Shield alone with Taylor. The silence that enveloped the room soon turned into tension, and Taylor started to head for the door.

"Um, I'll be waiting outside…" She opened the main door and stepped outside, taking in a deep breath. Honestly, she was so different within the squared circle…she didn't have this problem when she was in front of thousands people. So why was it so hard now?

"...You mad at me for splashin' water on you?"

Taylor stiffened and then sighed. Yeah, he totally had the overprotective brother gimmick down packed.

"…No, you silly head," She said. She never picked her head back up to look at him. "You should probably go change clothes. You're soaking wet."

"Eh, I'll live. Besides, the wind's blowin' like crazy and it'll dry my clothes faster."

"You'll still catch a cold afterwards." She lifted her head and looked at him, giving him a slight smile. "Look, I'm…sorry for worrying all of you earlier, it's just that all of this happened so fast that I couldn't do anything about it."

Dean closed the distance between them and brushed a finger over features and getting tangled into a stray lock of hair, which he pushed back behind her ear. "Your hair's nice."

"Th…thanks?" She chuckled nervously. "Hey Dean, can I…ask something?"

"Shoot. What is it?"

Taylor twiddled her thumbs and forced her gaze downwards. She wanted to trust them, and she did but…she didn't quite trust herself as much as she wanted to. Dean's gaze was fixated on her as he waited for her to speak.

"…Taylor?"

"Um…if I start to lose it because of these hallucinations and these weird happenings like the call I got earlier…will you be there for me?"

Dean straightened his stance as he worked his jaw. "I can't keep that promise."

"…I figured that." She turned away from him, her eyes closing and her arms folding over her large chest. She stiffened again when she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"I didn't mean it like that," He said. He realized what he said was a little rude to her and it probably made he feel worse than she did now. "I 'm not gonna keep that type of promise because I'm gonna prevent them from happening again. I'm _not _gonna let it happen again."

"Y-you're not? How?"

"Don't worry about that. Just know that if it happens again, We'll trace the damn call and I'll beat the livin' shit outta them. Your physical and mental health isn't someone's game."

Taylor felt happy to hear those words. Dean, Seth, and Roman; they were all overprotective of her. Roman didn't show it as much as the other two did, but he definitely cared. So did AJ and Punk. It was glad to know that they still stuck around, even though they've witnessed more than most people could handle in less than twenty-four hours.

"I appreciate that, Dean. I really do."

"Hey, Dean…" Roman poked his head out of the door and motioned for him to come inside. He followed, telling Taylor that he would be back in a minute or so. A short time later, Dean returned with everyone else.

"We're gonna go to the bar," He said. "Wanna come with?"

How could she refuse? Maybe a drink or two would calm her nerves. "Sure."

* * *

**I managed to make some time to do this. Whew...**

**Overprotective!Roman WILL be present in the next chapter, trust me. I've been saying this for two chapters, but I really mean it this time!**


End file.
